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Author: Wolfgang
Travel-Journal February 02 - February 17, 2004
Travel-Journal
February 02 - February 17, 2004
Today is Monday at the TTN Resort (Thousand Trails NACO) in “Valley Verde, Arizona” ….and tomorrow morning we’re leaving for Texas. We are heading for our TTN Preserve in “Medina Lake” TX which is just a short distance from San Antonio ….and the Alamo. It’s also practically right next door to the world-famous dude ranches in Bandera, - the ‘Cowboy Capitol of the World’. We both have nothing but good memories from this place which we have been frequenting annually (with one exception) since 1991. But more about this place later once we’ve left Texas to do the ‘Mardi Gras’ in New Orleans. TTN owns seven beautiful Resorts in and around major urban centers like San Antonio, Dallas, Huston, Fort Worth and the Gulf Coast. We usually visit several resorts in this state so to qualify as ‘Winter Texans’, lol ….but this time we’re too late and unfortunately have to move on to get to our home-base and waiting friends in Florida. Too bad….
Right now the weather down here is beautiful - albeit a bit on the cool side – and we have planned a new route to bring us to San Antonio, Texas traveling across the mid-section of New Mexico. We have to make at least one overnight stop somewhere in between - because it’s a long way. We are taking Hwy 260 from Cottonwood AZ and drive east selecting only scenic roads. Even if this means an extra day…who cares? We love the landscape of Arizona and intend to make frequent stops at the many national monuments along this route. Tomorrow we are leaving the Navaho Nations and entering the Apache Nations which stretch far into New Mexico. It should be a beautiful and memorable trip…..
So just let me bring you up to date on what toke place since we left Pio Pico, CA. We did not drive all the way to Yuma through Mexico as intended, but entered the US again at Mexicali. Yes, - Dagmar had something to do with this ….the reason was mentioned earlier. I love Mexico, - but the stretches along the US border are not the most scenic with all the US manufacturing plants planted there because of cheap Mexican labor. So we took Hwy 95 north to Quartzsite AZ.
About mid-way in the desert we passed the “United States Army Yuma Proving Grounds’ and this time I took some pictures. Like this one…..
Of course I had to take some shots of those two huge guns right at the entrance to the base. During my Military Service in Germany in the early fifties I became familiar with those types of behemoths. We called them “Big Bertha” - and this is what they were designed to do……
..and here are some statistics…..
Some close-up pictures of the two atom guns on display….
By the time we arrived in Quartzsite it was dark, so we pulled into one of the first RV parking areas. The guy at the guard house told us to just park anywhere in the desert for the night. He didn’t want any money. So I drove just around the corner, - shut down the engine, - closed the curtains and blinds, - leveled the coach ….and lay on the couch to watch TV. Dagmar made something to eat in the kitchen ….and suddenly it felt all somehow weird. Hey, - it took only seconds to set up camp for the night and we did it without even stepping outside the coach to check things out? I had a genuine strange reaction to this realization…all the comforts of home in the middle of the desert just by the touch of some buttons. Amazing …really!!!
Right now we both experience a renaissance with the coach….we fall in love all over again with the old girl. We are wanting a newer/bigger one for quite some time now…but having trouble to part with her. Because of the constant upgrades she has become so reliable, is still so comfortable, a dream to drive but most importantly… solid as a rock. It never ceases to amaze me of how those professionals (shipwrights) who build her over a two year period did put emphasis on quality. She is made entirely of solid oak covering a cavernous interior without the use of molds or trims. Laying in bed looking up at the ceiling admiring the surrounding craftsmanship gives me always a contented feeling, - and she feels so secure. She is actually the ideal full-timer unit having all the conveniences one can think of and being self-contained to the point of surviving on Mars, lol. To this day one owner of the company who built her still uses her sister and every time we come to Christina Lake, BC we make sure to say HI to the Henne’s.
Dagmar with Bill sr. ..me with Bill jr.
Sorry, - I got carried away. So back to Quartzsite, AZ. ( http://www.quartzsitechamber.com/ ) The next Morning we pulled out…
… and went into town were we parked on the shoulder of the road to do some shopping and sightseeing.
We spent a few hours amidst the sea of stalls from vendors around the world who hawk their precious wares….. anything under the sun really.
But the authentic and original purpose of that meet was to bring precious stones and rocks from the surrounding hills to market. They do sell them by the pound to people mostly making fashion jewelry from them.
Anyone interested to find out more about this mammoth event can do so by simply making a Google search under “Quartzsite”. There is a lot of history here too…and one can find many abandoned mines in the surrounding hills, - so typical of ghost towns. We made a discovery tour with our 4x4 a few years ago on the same trip when Dagmar found that big nugget of gold right next to an abandoned mineshaft outside California City in the Mojave Desert. It’s still her most priced possession, lol.
Dagmar getting ideas…? …no way, lol.
While in town we only purchased a few items including some fruit. What - you might say – buying fruit in the desert far away from civilization? Yeah…I couldn’t believe it ….but the Bananas were actually cheaper here than in the cities. Go figure…?
From Quartzsite we traveled Hwy 71 and 89 North to Prescott from where I wanted to take the Hwy 89A to Cottonwood to our TTN Resort. We have done this stretch a few times in the past but Dagmar hates the drive. That’s because the steep mountainous road is not recommended for vehicles in excess of 35 feet (I’m 35 feet plus the Tracker) and the many serpentines make her sea-sick in the swaying coach. Plus at one time our ‘Jake Brakes’ quit in those steep 6,000 foot mountains and I had only the use of my airbrakes. Not too nice…. In fact up there I can only navigate in first gear and can never shift into second. I would stall that big Detroit Diesel trying….it’s that steep.
Anyhow, I love challenges even knowing that by entering the ghost-town of Jerome things get really tight for anything bigger than a car. I always blow my air-horn well in advance of any curve because I cannot back up with my car in tow if someone came toward me. And there is that one curve which is so tight that I have to be very careful not to scrape my mirrors on the rock-walls. But to me that’s what it’s all about, - challenges. Therefore it’s fun for me …but tribulation for Dagmar (granted…I wouldn’t want to sit in the passenger seat either). So by the time we got to Prescott, Dagmar begged me to take another route other than 89A to which I finally agreed since there were many inches of snow on the ground from (remember) that big Pacific storm the night before. At times we climbed to altitudes in excess of 6,000 feet while the freezing level was at 3,000 feet. So we took Hwy 69 instead to meet Interstate 17 to arrive in Verde Valley from the East. Here are some pix Dagmar took in the mountains…..
In late afternoon we arrived at the Verde Valley Preserve and parked the coach at our favorite spot, - right in front of the river canyon. This section does not have sewer and that’s why it’s mostly empty. Good for us because we don’t need a sewer hook-up since our 110 Gallon holding tank is good for our two week stay (we usually shower at the washrooms anyway). Here are some pictures of our site and camp……
…look-out from the window …we parked forward for best view
.. across the Verde River ….and me with my sparse Atkins breakfast
..,.Dagmar and Blackie on her long leash …balloon over Admin-bldg and pool (bottom)
…drifting over to our camp site … and slowly disappearing
…behind the hills …of the Arizona Red Rocks
As members of TTN we are entitled to a discount with “Sky High” Balloon Adventures and are contemplating to go on a Champaign Picnic Sunrise Flight next time we are here. Free pick-up and delivery from our camp too.
<Here is the balloon a few days ago when everyone thought he might land inside the canyon. But the award winning chief-pilot with the advertised perfect flying record descended to just inches over the Verde River. What a thrill for those people aboard sipping Champaign, lol. Here’s a pix I took from his descent into the gorge…..
And here are some things we did while in the neighborhood of TTN:
All in all, we are having a wonderful trip so far….the coach is running great, - I’m losing a lot of pounds thanks to Atkins, - Blackie is happy as can be, - the weather has been gorgeous and Dagmar and I did not have any fights at all, lol. But seriously, this is the life I always dreamed about and the people we meet in the system (the TNN family with 180,000 members) are all cut from the same wood. As an observation, - I’m astounded by the fact that one hardly sees older units anymore. It could be a trend …but people are buying new and expensive Diesel Pushers like there is no tomorrow. Trailer are definitely out ….huge fifth wheelers are still in vogue with the full-timers and now powered by what they call Shuttles. Those futuristic looking truck-based chassis are converted into luxury Mini-Campers with power to spare. But the diesel pick-ups are also getting bigger and more powerful all the time. But Diesel Pushers are another story. They selling like hot cakes and all the name brands offer a multitude of models with a zillion differing floor plans. Every unit now has slide outs, - not just one or two, - but up to three and four, - making the unit look from the inside truly like a condo on wheels. Well, - with my enthusiasm I should perhaps become an RV salesperson.....
....I may even be able to sell this red-neck’s camper, lol.
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February 17 - March 02, 2004
„FIRST it comes different – SECOND as one thinks“
(literal translation of a German Proverb)
With other words, everything has changed……Instead of driving on to Texas - as we planned (and described in the last Journal) - we find ourselves still in (or better at) our TTN Preserve here in “Verde Valley”. As a matter of fact, - since Tuesday we are parked right in front of the entrance to the Preserve in sight of the Ranger station. Last week we noticed quite a few RV’s parked at this “parking lot” or “holding area” in the desert, - today we are all alone here (more about that later…).
Here are some pictures from our “lonely place in the wilderness“, lol:
Our old ”stain-less steel“ home-on wheels..... ...running better today than when we bought it 13 years ago
... and still robust as a „Sherman Tank“. Dagmar at the computer...
The reason for still being here is the following: Just before we broke up camp, we ran into friends we hadn’t seen for years. They had a booking to attend the 71st FMCA (Family Motor Coach Association) International Convention in Albuquerque NM., - March 16. to 21. Our FMCA Membership Number on the “goose-egg“ sign in front of the coach is 145,471….that means …we’re old-timers, since by now the Membership has surpassed the 500,000 mark. Since we have not been together to a FMCA convention since the 1994 Winter-Convention in Pomona CA, they had an easy time convincing us to change our itinerary and to attend as well. In three weeks, we shall drive together to Albuquerque where the convention takes place at “Expo New Mexico” (former NM State Fairgrounds) including a “satellite parking area” on the grounds of the “International Balloon Fiesta” (www.balloonfiesta.com) 10 miles away. From there, a shuttle service takes one to the convention center. As late bookers we probably end up at the latter place…..
Therefore, - good bye to New Orleans (and “Mardi Grass”) … and hello to Albuquerque.
As we remember from the past, we will have at least five days of fun filled events such as shows, parades and concerts with countless opportunities to attend RV related seminars in addition to the hundreds of vendors and dealers presenting their latest designs and inventions to the interested enthusiasts. The main element of the convention in fact is the huge trade show, where one can muster, test and admire the latest developments in the Motorhome Industry.
"Marathon"
As many of you know, I’m for years in the market for a new(er) Coach - despite our love for the old one - and am very interested of what lies ahead. (I compare such an acquisition with the purchase of a computer….one can never make up his/her mind when to buy) Anyone interested to find out more, go to www.fmca.com for all the details.
But now I can hear the question, - but why do you park in front of the gate @ TTN? Well, it’s like this: As TTN members ( http://www.1000trails.com/ ) we select our choice-plan at billing time in December each year and pay our dues accordingly. As “full-timers” – our option - we are then entitled to stay in the system for the entire year without any additional charges. That means, we can stay in all 58 resorts in the US and Canada …and if that is not enough, we are also members of the TTN daughter company RPI (Resorts Park International) ( www.resortparks.com/ ) – where we can stay in the more than 400 RPI Resorts for merely $5 @ night. This way, we never run out of first-class real-estate while on the road, lol……
But there is one rule….one can stay only two weeks at a time in each Resort (otherwise it would become a trailer-court). But if one wants to stay longer, one has choices: Stay outside for one week and come back for another two, - pay for that “out” week the prevailing daily rates and stay put (expensive), - lease a site for a month to a full season - or rent a trailer or cottage. Normally we always move on after our two week stay to get to the next Resort. But in this case, we wanted to stay with our friends and travel together to NM. That’s why we opted to stay outside….
But this is no problem for us. Since on departure we always have a huge amount of fresh water on board …and all of our eight golf-cart batteries (house batteries) are fully loaded from having been connected to the shore-power, we can “dry-camp” for extended periods. We’ve tested it years ago without problems for over a month in the Yuma Desert. In addition, we have three powerful solar panels on the roof to replenish the batteries, but since we always have the Inverter (silent generator) on, - which is converting 12 Volt into 110 Volt, - providing us with continuous 110 Volt power for TV, appliances etc., - the drain on the batteries is too high for any solar panels to keep up. Therefore, should the voltage ever run below 10.8 Volt, our 7KW Propane Generator kicks in automatically to supply the electricity and re-charge all batteries at the same time through the converter/charger. And if the big Detroit Diesel would be running, we have two more alternators supplying juice, - one for the coach (24 V @ 440 amps) and the other for the house-batteries (12 V @ 110 amps). The entire electrical system on our coach has over the years evolved into is very complex set-up…..and is run by an on-board computer. Totally carefree….unless you have trouble…which we had on our week “out”. Our older converter/charger gave up its ghost after the fifth day, when the 7 KW Propane Generator kicked in, because the amps produced were too low to charge our NEW bank of Golf Cart batteries. It just could not keep up. Now we have a new and higher rated converter/charger installed.
So much for the technical aspects of our Coach….. BTW, while members park outside the gate, they can get a day-pass from the Ranger Station allowing them to enter the Resort during the day…which we did on occasion to take part in some activities or visiting our friends. But now - while I write this – we are back at our favorite spot (81A) right in front of the abyss to the canyon, where from our window we can see the crimson colored rocks on the other side of the Verde River. We can make out many caves close to the top of the cliffs where at one time in the not too distant past, Apaches or Yavapai Indians lived. It’s not too difficult to spend months around the TTN “Verde Valley” Resort to learn about the history of the land going back to the Indian wars. We climbed up one side of the cliffs and entered a cave where we discovered primitive petroglyphs, - a definite sign of human habitation from the past. The Apaches and Yavapai Indians did not get along very well and actually fought each other. They came from different tribal groups with different languages and customs. They mostly avoided confrontation by using the Verde River as a territorial boundary. Because in the eighteen-hundreds, small groups of Apaches (Marauders) fought the invaders by attacking, raiding and killing white settlers including travelers, the US Government in Washington DC decided in 1874 that all Indians had to be removed from there ancestral homes and banished to San Carlos, AZ, where they had established a large Indian Reservation - about 180 Miles south of “Verde Valley”. Over 2000 Indians of the antagonistic tribes were rounded up in 1875 in Camp Verde by Capt. George Crook and his US-Cavalry. It was in the dead of winter and the exodus turned out to be a death-march for the tribes. The rivers in the mountains were swollen and those who did not drown while crossing….froze to death in the cold. Hundreds of men, women and children perished on this journey and tomorrow (Feb 28th) we are going to drive over with our friends to Camp Verde, were the local Apaches are celebrating the 129th anniversary of their banishment and atrocity in remembrance of their ancestors. They will have a big Pow Wow
with traditional dances and songs and in the evening a big potluck dinner. Dagmar prepared a big bowl of her delicious and mouthwatering German Potato Salad to bring along with implicit instruction to me, to stay away from it altogether. Potatoes and Bread….two things I miss the most while on ATKINS……
In the meantime, the weather here in the Arizona High-Desert has become erratic. In the past two weeks we had three storms move in from the Pacific……but we nevertheless had sunshine every day. But even when the sun did not shine, we were found pool-side nearly every day. The entire pool complex in “Verde Valley” is simply fabulous - not only in its southern style lay-out - but the entire set-up. The pool-water temperatures were always in the eighties ….and the huge whirlpool at a steady 104 F. Adjacent in the pool lounge are things to do for people age 5 to 105. Super!!! During adult-swim, Dagmar gets her laps in and makes sure, that I don’t just watch her in amazement. She is still the champion…..
We had some rain here as well…but mostly at night. The locals were ecstatic, since the land needs rain. The native Apaches in adjacent Camp Verde performed rain-dances. Hard to believe that those benevolent people were once feared throughout the land as red-skin marauders who scalped white settlers and travelers whenever they had a chance. These days they are getting somehow back their independence by building gambling casinos across their nations. And now the Gringos get envious because of their special tax status and want some changes….like Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened when he became Governor of California. We’ll see how that’s going to play out. We noticed through the local press that the Arizona Indian Gaming Commission quickly decided to furnish Grants to communities to make up for not having to pay any state-taxes. But they put strings on those Grants which in the end will benefit the natives in the community more than the rest of the population. This is what happens when their offspring now become lawyers and politicians, lol…..
BTW, if we would be home all the time, Blackie would be outside all day, - something she’s never wanted to do before. She really digs this place because there are so many birds and small animals to watch. She is on her leash of course and sometimes she gets tangled up in the bushes…..than we have to rescue her. But she is smart enough to have learned from this and it does not happen as frequently now. Since spring has arrived in the valley, Resort Management has distributed a flyer with the title: “Critter Alert”. It warns of Rattle Snakes, Scorpions, Black Widow Spiders and other poisonous night-crawlers such as huge Centipedes - including Skunks. One is advised to take a flashlight along when walking in the dark. We are not perturbed in the least…. after all, - we choose to live amidst nature and love every minute of it. One evening, Blackie struggled herself free from the leash and disappeared into the night. So Dagmar went looking for her with a flashlight, - calling out her name. Then suddenly she’s seen glowing eyes looking at her and went closer ….only to stop right in her tracks. In front of her was not what she thought was Blackie, but a huge Skunk with his bushy tail straight up in the air and pointing toward her.
She thought, - watch out….this can get nasty and backtracked quickly. Since then we noticed that his big fellow is always somewhere in the neighborhood and not afraid of people or their pets. And why should he….?
By the time we get to Florida, it might be getting a bit too hot for our liking. Forget the sub-tropics in May ..that we know from experience. So again this year, we are not going to spend too much time there, probably just work ….like cleaning up the jungle behind our lot obscuring the sight to the golf course. But we have friends and neighbors waiting anxiously for our arrival at TGO (www.tgoresort.com/) and that means only one thing….Party-Time.
In the meantime we are having fun traversing this immense continent ….and for the first time feel we can do whatever we want, when we want. No time constraints…. Every day is a day with new sights, discoveries and adventures. No wonder that I lost already over 20 pounds ….and counting. Dagmar is like a drill-sergeant, lol …..
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